Body Wars
by Cirronian de Bergerac
Summary: an assassin gets a mission


Body Wars  
  
Set in Tracker Universe, spoilers for The Plague  
  
I don't own them. They all belong to Lion's Gate and the creative Mr. Grant who brought their world to us. Making no money just thinking in e-print.  
  
Feedback appreciated.  
  
The guild master sat and contemplated his assassins. The new targets were nearly invulnerable. This job would require a dedication unheard of even within their grim hierarchy. Settling his glance on one particular devotee, he made the decision. Calling Tev to attend him they went into the back room together as the others were ushered from the hall.  
  
One of the learned behaviors of a master assassin was patience, Tev waited quietly for the guild master to speak. Accepting the wine he was handed, he glanced around the exquisitely appointed room. Luxury was part and parcel of the guild gifts but this went beyond any of the rewards he had received in his short but illustrious career.  
  
The master cleared his throat seeming to find it difficult to start the conversation. "We have been offered a unique opportunity. A client has offered us ownership of two off world gambling establishments for a complex job." Tev's glass tipped in surprise. "Two gambling planets?"  
  
"Teppan I and Glorivale" the master returned softly.  
  
"Who do we have to kill?" The old joke took on new meaning.  
  
"If we can eliminate the ruling house of Armis and their pet senator then they are ours."  
  
"And the assassin's cut is?" Tev had recovered his aplomb.  
  
"Third ownership with the guild retaining the other two portions."  
  
A discreet whistle was Tev's response. "How can it be accomplished?"  
  
A gesture of his hand brought the master's assistant forward with documents. "There is only one plan which can succeed." He gestured Tev closer. "One man to infiltrate the household. A good looking, enterprising young man should be able to seduce an old senator, a neglected wife and a naïve, sheltered young girl. And if this man had a virus that was deadly to Armisians that would take care of three targets in one sweep. The ensuing confusion should provide enough coverage to slip a poison into the household water, not the drinking supplies but the personal bathing sources of the Prime & his son. The poisons would be swift acting and within 3 days the entire house of Armis would fall and with no senator to step into the breach our client would be in position to take over."  
  
"So this is a suicide mission." Tev spoke flatly, no longer stirred by the riches to be gained.  
  
"Oh no. Our enterprising young man would be genetically altered to be immune to the poison for a period of time, he would be a carrier only."  
  
Avarice stirred once again. "And?" he knew there was something else.  
  
"And if this youngling survives and gets away, the genetic coding for the poison will be removed, allowing full return to his original, healthy state."  
  
Already his mind was plotting when he asked the last, yet most important question. "And if this youngling is captured?"  
  
"Then when the altered state time has elapsed, the poison will begin to build up and if not released into a new host, the carrier will die."  
  
"So where do I sign up? I assume I am the enterprising young man you had in mind. I will of course require some guarantees."  
  
"I didn't doubt that for a moment." The master assassin lifted two glasses of Diluvian wine, handing one to Tev for a toast. "To the success of seduction and cleanliness."  
  
"And to the continued gambling of the masses." Tev touched glasses with his mentor to seal the contract.  
  
The contract went smoothly. Tev quickly became a trusted bodyguard of the Armisian Prime. The fake assassination attempt he foiled worked wonders for his creditability. Privately he ridiculed the old Prime's trust in him. Within weeks he was bedding the lady of the house. She seemed to think the household guard was her personal harem.  
  
A month later the not-as-virginal as publicly believed daughter fell under his spell. He smiled often thinking, two down one to go.  
  
The night of the Prime's heir announcement ball came, and with it, his opportunity to flatter the old Senator into an assignation. Tucking her request to attend him in her private quarters into his coat pocket, he quietly left the grounds and made his way to the safe house where the physician waited to inoculate him.  
  
Making his way through the darkened house to his room. The night guards let him pass unchallenged. They were quite used to his nocturnal trips. Stepping inside his room he swiftly settled his tired frame into bed. Pleasure for pleasures sake was tiring but three women with such exacting and different tastes was exhausting in one night.  
  
Tev woke to the raised voices and tension of the Prime residence. Smiling to himself he hurriedly dressed and made his way to the great room. "What is it? Are we under attack?" He addressed the guard captain.  
  
"The Lady and her daughter are severely ill. The physicians have been summoned, it is feared they may die."  
  
"Poison?" Tev asked the question gravely.  
  
"That hasn't been determined yet. But the physician's are muttering about strange symptoms and disease." The guard leader appeared puzzled.  
  
"Are the Prime and his heir secured?" Tev queried.  
  
"Yes they have been quarantined in the west tower suites. Have you had contact with the Lady or her daughter in the last week?"  
  
"No. I have been assigned to the Prime most of this week." Tev replied knowing that the day captain would not be privy to his activities from the night before, at least not yet.  
  
"Well then go on up to the Prime's suite, if this is some type of poison we don't want to give anyone a chance to get to the Prime or his heir. Send my lieutenant back to me. I will coordinate things from here."  
  
Tev checked the vial he carried and went up to the tower suites. Sending the lieutenant down, he swiftly organized the remaining guards into a perimeter picket. Entering the Prime's room he saw the confusion and quickly stepped forward to bring order to the chaos.  
  
Calling for the tower servants he gave them orders to draw baths for the Prime and the Prince. Soothing the two men with the news that both women were under care and that they must appear normal and confident in front the staff lest panic set in.  
  
Entering the bathing chambers under the guise of checking security Tev quickly pumped the poison into the partially filled tubs.  
  
Hearing the gasp behind him he turned then made a leap for the fleeing servant who had witnessed his actions. The man ran calling out "Assassin, poisoner!" in a loud carrying voice.  
  
Cursing, Tev escaped from the palace, slipping past the disorganized guards, he began to make his way to the hidden safe house. He needed to be free of the virus in his body and to hide. The guild he worked for would move swiftly to terminate him for his failure.  
  
Reaching the house he entered with stealth, half afraid that word had reached even this deserted area. All was silent. Canvassing the grounds and house it became apparent that he had been betrayed. The lure of money had seduced the guild into betrayal and the physician had been taken, leaving him to face certain death even had he completed his mission successfully.  
  
Gathering his belongings and the money he had secreted Tev headed for the vehicle he had stored out back. Throwing everything inside he paused, looking towards the doors.  
  
"I don't think you'll be needing that." The voice came from behind him.  
  
Faced with an armed Tracker and several of the Prime's personal sentries there was little to do but surrender, and he would have except for the viral bomb in his system. Fighting like a madman he tried vainly to escape. Leaving the Tracker no choice but to use a collector to remove his life force from the diseased body.  
  
They say that there is only a kind of limbo inside the collector, but Tev's consciousness was quietly triumphant. He had already formed a tentative plan for escape and he would have to acquire a new body, disease free and then he would hunt down his betrayers and his captors one by one starting with this Tracker they called Daggon. 


End file.
